FAST CASH: Saving money starts with the easy moves first

Whether you're scraping together a few dollars for the holiday season or simply want to revamp a budget that is fledgling at best, saving money often is viewed as more difficult than it needs to be. That's not an understatement by any means, nor is it meant to minimize the stress that struggling with debt, bills and cash flow can cause the average person simply trying to “make it” on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. But the tendency, and rightfully so, is to start analyzing the big ticket items on your budget that could easily be dropped from your monthly bills. That mentality might be more daunting than you originally thought, with such options as canceling your cell phone plan or only eating canned tuna for the foreseeable future. Going for the gusto when perusing your budget isn't always realistic. If you honestly believe that you're seriously going to stop watching TV or using your mobile phone, then you've got the kind of wondrous willpower and money savvy that would be the envy of any financial guru. Instead of dropping your television service altogether, opt for something more affordable like Netflix or Hulu. There's no unwritten rule of home entertainment that suggests you can't simply watch movies on your already owned DVD player, either. Another option to consider is totally eliminating your internet service at your home. Granted, this may not be the most practical move but given the plethora of internet hot spots situated just about anywhere imaginable, you may want to chop off between $50-100 per month. That's is about the cost of internet service through your cable television provider. As far as food and fine dining, you don't have to relegate yourself to only meals out of a can. Buying groceries and eating at home is desirable, but you still can see the inside of a restaurant as well. Try shaving a little off your bill by perhaps skipping the drinks or desserts. More often than not, going out to eat is more of a social urge than the actual act of eating food. If that's the case, you should perhaps share a meal or purchase a low cost appetizer. Let's say your a heavy duty coffee drinker and you're $4 per day or more Starbucks habit is putting you roughly $100 lighter in the wallet every month when a coffee maker at home will more than suffice. The trick isn't so much selling your car or auctioning off your furniture to get yourself into financial bliss but rather taking a long, hard look at your daily routine for some often overlooked ways to whack hundreds or thousands of dollars off your budget.